Not upheld: quality of goods / satisfactory quality of used car complaint against Motonovo Finance Limited

Decision detail

Summary

Mr M complained to the Financial Ombudsman Service about the quality of a used car supplied by Motonovo Finance Limited under a hire purchase agreement in January 2025. The car was 6.5 years old with 81,500 miles at supply. After an independent engineer's inspection in August 2025 identified brake disc and Ad-blue system issues, Motonovo offered to fund repairs and provided £250 compensation. Mr M disputed this outcome and provided his own garage report identifying carbon build-up in the engine. The ombudsman found the independent engineer's report to be reliable evidence and concluded that the issues experienced were consistent with normal wear and tear for a used car of this age and mileage, not faults present at supply. The complaint was not upheld, and Motonovo's offer was deemed fair and reasonable.

The Ombudsman's reasoning

The ombudsman applied the Consumer Rights Act 2015, which requires goods to be of satisfactory quality. For a 6-7 year old car with over 80,000 miles, satisfactory quality must be assessed considering age, mileage, durability, and expected wear and tear. The independent engineer's report was found to be reliable evidence. The issues Mr M experienced, including carbon build-up, were consistent with normal wear and tear from previous usage rather than faults present at supply. Parts wearing out after reasonable lifespan does not constitute unsatisfactory quality under the relevant legislation.

How this compares

Source

Read the original decision on the Financial Ombudsman Service website